Today in Focus

Is London ready for driverless taxis?

14 snips
Oct 28, 2025
Johana Bhuiyan, a senior technology reporter with expertise in self-driving cars, shares insights from her testing of Waymo's autonomous taxis. Gwyn Topham, transport correspondent for The Guardian, discusses the implications of driverless taxis for London's unique urban landscape. They explore the technology behind Waymo's success, the regulatory landscape in the UK, the potential economic impact versus job risks, and the challenges of navigating London's chaotic streets. They also address safety standards, passenger behavior, and how cities might evolve with autonomous vehicles.
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ANECDOTE

Firsthand Ride In A Waymo Taxi

  • Helen Pidd rode a Waymo in downtown Austin and described it as thrilling and surreal.
  • She noted the car announced messages and navigated without a visible driver, heightening the novelty.
INSIGHT

How Driverless Cars See And Decide

  • Johana Bhuiyan explains the tech stack: sensors, LIDAR, radar, maps and machine learning work together.
  • The system senses, solves and then goes, aiming to replicate split-second human driving decisions.
INSIGHT

Testing Scale Explains Waymo's Lead

  • Waymo's lead stems from long-term research, deep mapping and vast simulated miles.
  • Johana cites over 6 billion simulated miles and extensive real-world testing as key advantages.
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